Vista doesn't print to an old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallelconnection)...

Ant

Hello.

I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer from
April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing problem
with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).

She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number F5U002v1).
She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a problem? I don't
think it is since it is just a cable adapter.

When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't have
her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how to
find it).

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.

Based on
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
.... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.

I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to visit.

Any ideas? Thank you in advance.
--
"If I find one beer can in that car, it's over!" --Red; "And no donuts
either! Ants!" --Kitty from That '70s Show pilot
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Phil/Ant @ http://antfarm.home.dhs.org (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: philpi@earthlink.netANT
( ) or ANTant@zimage.com
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

Andrew Rossmann

[This followup was posted to comp.periphs.printers and a copy was sent
to the cited author.]

In article <4703506e$0$32466$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>, ANTant@zimage.com
says...
> Hello.
>
> I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer from
> April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing problem
> with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
>
> She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number F5U002v1).
> She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a problem? I don't
> think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
>
> When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
> printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't have
> her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how to
> find it).
>
> http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
>
> Based on
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
> ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
>
> I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to visit.

You do need the proper drivers for the USB adapter. I don't know if
Vista recognized it or not and installed drivers from it's own driver
cache, or from Windows Update. I don't see any drivers on Belkin's site.

If the computer is a desktop, the easiest fix is to add a parallel port
PCI card. They are rather cheap. I added a Startech one, and Vista
download the drivers for it.

--
If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying!
All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law!!
http://home.att.net/~andyross

Ant

> > Hello.
> >
> > I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer from
> > April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing problem
> > with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
> >
> > She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number F5U002v1).
> > She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a problem? I don't
> > think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
> >
> > When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
> > printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't have
> > her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how to
> > find it).
> >
> > http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
> >
> > Based on
> > http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
> > ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
> >
> > I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to visit.

> You do need the proper drivers for the USB adapter. I don't know if
> Vista recognized it or not and installed drivers from it's own driver
> cache, or from Windows Update. I don't see any drivers on Belkin's site.

I heard this special USB cable is unsupported in Vista and won't work. I
don't see any drivers either.


> If the computer is a desktop, the easiest fix is to add a parallel port
> PCI card. They are rather cheap. I added a Startech one, and Vista
> download the drivers for it.

Or get a new printer.
--
o/~ All the little ants are marching, red and black antennae waving...
they all do it the same... they all do it the same... way... o/~ --Ants
Marching song by Dave Matthews Band
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Please remove ANT if replying by e-mail.
( )

Cari

She doesn't have the 870cse set as default. Control Panel, Printers....
right click on the HP and click on Set As Default.
--
Cari (MS-MVP)
Windows Technologies - Printing & Imaging
http://www.coribright.com/windows

"Ant" <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote in message
news:4703506e$0$32466$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Hello.
>
> I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer from
> April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing problem
> with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
>
> She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number F5U002v1).
> She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a problem? I don't
> think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
>
> When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
> printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't have
> her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how to find
> it).
>
> http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
>
> Based on
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
> ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
>
> I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to visit.
>
> Any ideas? Thank you in advance.
> --
> "If I find one beer can in that car, it's over!" --Red; "And no donuts
> either! Ants!" --Kitty from That '70s Show pilot
> /\___/\
> / /\ /\ \ Phil/Ant @ http://antfarm.home.dhs.org (Personal Web Site)
> | |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
> \ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: philpi@earthlink.netANT
> ( ) or ANTant@zimage.com
> Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

Barry Watzman

I think that the problem is more the printer (actually it's driver), and
Vista, plus trying to use a USB to parallel adapter (which is always
potentially problematic .... some print drivers simply will not work
with one of those).

The right solution here is a new printer.


Ant wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer from
> April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing problem
> with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
>
> She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number F5U002v1).
> She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a problem? I don't
> think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
>
> When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
> printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't have
> her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how to
> find it).
>
> http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
>
> Based on
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
> ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
>
> I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to visit.
>
> Any ideas? Thank you in advance.

Ant

Bummer. Someone else said Vista doesn't have the driver for this USB to
parallel cable. I was surprised that you even need a driver for this! I
thought USB and parallel was known by Windows.


On 10/3/2007 4:41 PM PT, Barry Watzman typed:

> I think that the problem is more the printer (actually it's driver), and
> Vista, plus trying to use a USB to parallel adapter (which is always
> potentially problematic .... some print drivers simply will not work
> with one of those).
>
> The right solution here is a new printer.
>
>
> Ant wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer
>> from April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing
>> problem with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
>>
>> She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number
>> F5U002v1). She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a
>> problem? I don't think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
>>
>> When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to the
>> printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista doesn't
>> have her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she knows how
>> to find it).
>>
>> http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
>>
>> Based on
>> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
>> ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
>>
>> I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to
>> visit.
>>
>> Any ideas? Thank you in advance.
--
"If you're an ant, and you're walking along across the top of a cup of
pudding, you probably have no idea that the only thing between you and
disaster is the strength of that pudding skin." --Jack Handy from
Saturday Night Live
/\___/\
/ /\ /\ \ Phil/Ant @ http://antfarm.home.dhs.org (Personal Web Site)
| |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL): http://aqfl.net
\ _ / Remove ANT from e-mail address: philpi@earthlink.netANT
( ) or ANTant@zimage.com
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on his home computer.

ato_zee@hotmail.com

On 4-Oct-2007, Ant <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:

> Bummer. Someone else said Vista doesn't have the driver for this USB to
> parallel cable. I was surprised that you even need a driver for this! I
> thought USB and parallel was known by Windows.

Vista has dropped support for a lot of printers, mine included.
Win95, win98, winME, WinXP fine, Vista no support.
I'll use Linux from now on.
Can't understand MS$ printer driver philosophy, and
why they can't do it like Linux, where it seem to be
the same drivers as years ago.

Jean

ato_zee@hotmail.com a écrit dans le message
<4704a103$0$8423$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk>...
>
>On 4-Oct-2007, Ant <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:
>
>> Bummer. Someone else said Vista doesn't have the driver for this USB to
>> parallel cable. I was surprised that you even need a driver for this! I
>> thought USB and parallel was known by Windows.
>
>Vista has dropped support for a lot of printers, mine included.
>Win95, win98, winME, WinXP fine, Vista no support.
>I'll use Linux from now on.
>Can't understand MS$ printer driver philosophy, and
>why they can't do it like Linux, where it seem to be
>the same drivers as years ago.

Vista will not drive my Epson C70 even though it lists a driver. I had to
go buy a new printer.
JL

Arthur Entlich

Not to defend driver issues and MS products, but supposedly Vista has
the largest "in box" selection of drivers for peripherals of any OS
released by MS. Check with peripheral manufacturers at their websites also.

Art

ato_zee@hotmail.com wrote:

> On 4-Oct-2007, Ant <ANTant@zimage.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Bummer. Someone else said Vista doesn't have the driver for this USB to
>>parallel cable. I was surprised that you even need a driver for this! I
>>thought USB and parallel was known by Windows.
>
>
> Vista has dropped support for a lot of printers, mine included.
> Win95, win98, winME, WinXP fine, Vista no support.
> I'll use Linux from now on.
> Can't understand MS$ printer driver philosophy, and
> why they can't do it like Linux, where it seem to be
> the same drivers as years ago.

Barry Watzman

You don't need a driver for the USB to Parallel cable, but the printer
driver has to be able to work with it, and many if not most can't. I
seem to recall hearing that the HP 8xx deskjet series, EXCEPT for the
895, could not work either over a network or with USB to parallel cables.

Another option here might be to add a true parallel port to the computer.

But really, at this point, a new printer is the RIGHT answer.


Ant wrote:
> Bummer. Someone else said Vista doesn't have the driver for this USB to
> parallel cable. I was surprised that you even need a driver for this! I
> thought USB and parallel was known by Windows.
>
>
> On 10/3/2007 4:41 PM PT, Barry Watzman typed:
>
>> I think that the problem is more the printer (actually it's driver),
>> and Vista, plus trying to use a USB to parallel adapter (which is
>> always potentially problematic .... some print drivers simply will not
>> work with one of those).
>>
>> The right solution here is a new printer.
>>
>>
>> Ant wrote:
>>> Hello.
>>>
>>> I have an old college friend who has a fairly new Gateway computer
>>> from April/May 2007. It came with Windows Vista. She has a printing
>>> problem with her old HP Deskjet 870Cse printer (parallel connection).
>>>
>>> She bought a Belkin USB Parallel Printer Adapter (part number
>>> F5U002v1). She says the box doesn't say Vista support. Is this a
>>> problem? I don't think it is since it is just a cable adapter.
>>>
>>> When she tries to print, Vista saves as a XPS file and not send to
>>> the printer. I read that XPS is like PDF. It sounds like Vista
>>> doesn't have her printer connected (asked her to check -- I hope she
>>> knows how to find it).
>>>
>>> http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpd04246.pdf for the PDF manual.
>>>
>>> Based on
>>> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...=61012&lang=en
>>> ... Vista knows about this printer so no downloaded driver needed.
>>>
>>> I am helping her through e-mails since she isn't close by for me to
>>> visit.
>>>
>>> Any ideas? Thank you in advance.